Ironwulf.net: En Route – The Philippines, Travel, Photography Blog

Captivating. Dazzling. It’s really an experience watching the Ayala Triangle Symphony of Lights. I brought some of my relatives there and I was amused seeing the awe-filled look on their faces. This is another thing I like about Christmas, a lot of free entertainment for everyone like this light and music show and it’s becoming a new tradition in the likes of the COD Christmas display decades ago. And technology indeed has caught up in capturing the light spectacle. While I enjoyed shooting the lights, I also enjoyed looking at the people watching them.

Christmas is changing. Honestly, I wish I would be in a place where Christmas is celebrated stripped off the commercialism and senseless countdowns and save some people some stress during this season. I asked a cousin of mine who has been around the world what he thinks about Christmas. I remember him telling me one of the best places he spent Christmas was in Papua New Guinea. People there don’t have much. They don’t have to worry about buying gifts to people and their only concern is coming together as a family, celebrating with what they have. Isn’t that ideal?

If Pablo Picasso were to design a living space, I would imagine the rooms to be divided in cubes with walls and furnishings playing on the palettes from his art during the heydays of Cubism. But even past his years, a new Boutique Serviced Residences, the first in the country, paid homage to the art and lifestyle of the famous painter naming the establishment, Picasso. Found at the heart of Makati Central Business district, I get to experience a night of luxury at one of its cube.

If in the USA, they have the Photo Marketing Association Trade Show which the world of Photography seems to follow as most photo companies exhibit and reveal their newer models. Here in the Philippines, we have the Photo World Asia. Before, it was called Photo World Manila, I guess for marketing reasons the popped in the “Asia” to make it wider in scope but it really isn’t that wide a coverage. Photo World is also an annual event held usually early February in Glorietta Activity Center, Makati. This year, the event is held from January 31 – February 5. Most local photo distributors have their exhibit booths and most retailers give good discounts and freebies during this event, making it an ideal time to buy new cameras and accessories.

I think the Philippines is the Festival Capital of the world on the first quarter of the calendar year. There’s the Sinulog, Ati-atihan, and Dinagyang to name a few which happens at the same time if not one after another. But to those in the metro who’s not able to fly to those places where these festivals are held, there’s one closer to home. Makati’s Caracol Festival, now on its second year was held on the 20th of January, third week of the month at the same time with Kalibo’s Ati-atihan. It might not be as wild and crazy as the latter, but it does add a color of revelry to the streets of Makati.

Happy New Year people! Thank you very much for still tagging along for the ride all this time. To make the start of the year more lively, here is Makati City’s Countdown to 2008 held at Ayala Corner Makati Avenue. Just in front of Manila Peninsula Makati, where the recent Trillanes Standoff happened. So a couple of hours before the strike of midnight I headed up to Makati, the nearest vicinity where I could shoot some fireworks and scenes from the event itself.

Christmas is coming, and for most of us Pinoys, it’s the season not only for giving gifts and endless parties, but also reunions and re-acquittance with people we have not seen for a while. And not to be missed in any of these occasions is the food. As I always do on my blog, when I find a place interesting I try to feature them here, and one place we just stumbled upon with my officemates when we were looking for a nice restaurant at the newly opened Greenbelt 5 in Makati is La Maison. I thought this place is perfect for barkadas to gather around and share food especially this season. All photos on this set were taken with my mobile phone, Sony Ericsson K800i.